Overview & Reviews

Kia Motors is a South Korean automaker that's relatively new to the United States. In its early years, Kia largely catered to budget-minded consumers with well-equipped vehicles priced below competing models. More recently, this growing brand has kept value a priority while also emphasizing technology and sportiness.

Founded in Korea in 1944, Kia started as a producer of steel tubing and bicycle parts. The company's name has its roots in the Chinese language, and means "to arise, to come up out of Asia." By the early 1950s, the company had produced Korea's first bicycle; by the latter part of the decade, Kia had branched out into motor scooters, with the rollout of the C100.

The 1960s saw Kia expanding its lineup to include motorcycles and three-wheeled cargo vehicles. Naturally, the next logical step was automobile production, and the company began moving in this direction in the early 1970s. By 1973, Kia had built a facility designed to make its automotive dreams a reality; its Sohari plant held the distinction of being Korea's first fully integrated automobile production facility, and went on to spawn Korea's first internal-combustion gasoline engine. A year later, Kia unveiled the Brisa, Korea's first passenger car. By the end of the decade, Kia's technology was being used to manufacture vehicles like the Peugeot 604 and the Fiat 132.

By the late '80s, Kia's lineup included new models like the Concord, Capital, Potentia and Pride. In 1987, Ford brought the Pride to U.S. shores, rebadging it as the Ford Festiva. Seven years later, Ford dealers got a replacement for the entry-level, subcompact Festiva in the form of another Kia constructed product, the Aspire.

Kia finally began selling vehicles in the U.S. under its own name in the early '90s, trumpeting its presence with the introduction of the compact Sephia. The car's rollout was gradual; in the early days of its production, the Sephia was only available in select Western states. By the mid-'90s, SUVs had emerged as a phenomenally popular and profitable vehicle segment. Kia responded with the 1995 Sportage, a compact SUV. By the end of the '90s, Kia's nationwide rollout was nearly complete.

Financial difficulties in the late '90s prevented Kia from expanding its lineup beyond those two models. Hyundai, South Korea's other major automaker, acquired the company in a merger in 1998.

Kia has been on a major upswing since its purchase by Hyundai, with improvements in build quality, performance and overall refinement. Reliability, previously a weak point, has also improved markedly and consumers' confidence was further bolstered by Kia's substantial warranty program. Today, Kia is on a dramatic upswing and offers a broad lineup of well-built coupes, sedans and crossovers that stand out for their value, performance and sporty styling.

User Reviews:

• 

  Kia noise - 2007 Kia Sportage
  By richard - July 4 - 9:46 pm

  Economy not what I expected. Handles good, rides good. Engine has plenty of pep. Big problem with noise from suspension sounds like shocks or shock bushings. Dealer checked twice, still same noise. Dealer says all Sportages have same noise. No more Kia Sportages for me.

• 

  Gotta Great Deal !! - 2009 Kia Borrego
  By Tim - July 4 - 12:43 pm

  Purchased my 2009 Borrego LX 4WD in Nov 2009 for over $7k off the sticker - gotta a great deal at $22,900. We are overall very pleased with this SUV with the exception of gas mileage (about 16 in town). Hope to see improvement as it breaks in. Also, the last gear in the tranny shifts really late, which makes you feel like it is revving too much under certain driving conditions. It is my understanding that this is normal or was designed that way, but still a little annoying. Overall, LOTS of room and comfort. All back seats fold pretty flat making hauling easy. It is a bit cumbersome getting in the 3rd seat, but the middle seats do slide up pretty far. Handles very well!!

• 

  major transmision problems - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By dan - July 3 - 6:23 pm

  after 3 years and 26000 miles. and dealership service always on time the transmision started whining almost like a grind. i took it to a kia dealer and it needs a new transmision! they had to order a new one and no loaner car all they said is the best they can do is give a courtesy ride home.

• 

  Poor road mileage - 2011 Kia Optima
  By ernesto109 - July 1 - 5:44 am

  We have had this car for two years and took it on the first road trip in January, 2013. We drove 6500 miles to Florida and back to the west coast. The average road mileage for the entire highway portion of the trip was 25.7mpg. We checked each tank and the mileage ranged from 24.3 to 27.4. However, the mileage shown on the car computer showed between four and five miles per gallon better that the actual calculations. The car is rated at 34 mpg, so this was very disappointing. The factory will do nothing about it, even though they have given compensation to other Kia model owners. The dealer we purchased it from will not even acknowledge my complaint letter.

• 

  Amanti 2004 - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By Charles Durnil - June 28 - 8:00 am

  Could be a bit more powerful, but is adequate. Fuel economy is less than expected, have seen better on more powerful 6s and 8s. That said, still an excellent value, a good car, that I expect will be great, with a few improvements.

• 

  Winning Car, Wishing for More - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Richmond Guy - June 24 - 8:33 am

  The Soul is a huge hit. Fit and finish are flawless. The neat features and electronics give it a unique personality. Headroom is outstanding. Where it misses: Not enough cup holders and pockets to store things usefully. Mileage is not what I hoped (averaging around 26). But front seat is too small and unsupportive. If you are above average in height or build, front seat will be painful for anything but very short trips. But car is FUN and so well built.

• 

  2016 Kia Soul, big car ride in a smaller package ! - 2016 Kia Soul
  By Mr Bill - June 23 - 2:28 am

  If you are looking for a smaller vehicle that rides like a big SUV but want something more economical, the Kia Soul may be for you. I did not want to pay 25 or 30 thousand for a conventional SUV. I was on a trip and rented a Soul for a week. After flying back home and getting into my car I realized how much I enjoyed and missed the Kia Soul. Very roomy with a smooth ride. Great storage especially when you fold down the rear seat. Paid a bit over 17 K. You cannot beat the Kia warranty. Vehicle quality is top notch, very solid vehicle, oh, they call it a wagon. I have the 1.6 L engine, I would suggest going with the 2.0 L engine if you live in a mountainous or hilly region of the country. If I keep it around 2000 rpm my mileage has been about 33 mpg on a regular basis. Overall, love the Soul, it is a fun and surprising vehicle to own.

• 

  EXCELLENT FOR THE $$$ - 2008 Kia Rio
  By CF - June 12 - 12:10 pm

  I have had my Rio since Aug 08 and have 17k, and cannot complain at all. I love this solid little car. I driven them all and this one exceeds the civic and elantras of past. the warranty is excellent compared to the competition. This car is roomy for the size. The trunk has space in it. No complaints, just a little big car for the price with a warranty to back it.

• 

  Fun To Drive - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Jaco - June 10 - 2:00 am

  It is just absolute Fun to drive

• 

  Great for the price - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By bjfails - June 8 - 4:46 am

  Great vehicle for a small family car, seats are a bit small but not uncomfortable. Lots of room for kids to stretch without burring knees into back of seat. Two row has a lot of storage options. Nice pep off the line but lags above 50 mph. Exterior doesnt command a lot of attention, but doesnt repel the date for the evening either.